Collide
by Yuhi Sakura
Summary: When two chemicals are brought together, they react. But some elements are more reactive than others...like Sakura and Edward. A FMA and Naruto X-over.
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One: Two Worlds Reacting...an Alchemic Backlash_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fullmetal Alchemist!_**

"Jackass!"

"Bastard."

"Show-off!"

"Knuckle-head."

"Jerk!"

"Idiot."

Sakura thought she was going to go crazy: For miles, Sasuke and Naruto had done nothing but argue like children. She had been elated when they had finally dragged (literally, she was pulling him by his right arm and Naruto was dragging him by his left) back to Konoha but she had whole-heartedly hoped that they would have matured a bit. Quite apparently, she was wrong.

'I can't believe this...' She thought, resting her head in her hand as she picked up her pace to escape the racket.

It was no use...They were just too loud.

Finally, Sakura reeled around, taking her anger out on an unfortunate tree which gave under her immense strength a moment later.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! I SWEAR! YOU TWO ARE THE MOST PATHETIC EXCUSES FOR A TEAM I HAVE EVER KNOWN!"

"Whoa, Sakura, let's just calm down."

That was it: Sakura felt her already weakened twig of self control snap with the slighted comment.

"I'm leaving. You two can find me in Suna where we were supposed to be an hour ago!"

Before either of them had a chance to say anything, she was in the trees.

* * *

'I can't believe those two!' Sakura fumed mutely to herself.

But she had to be honest with herself: She hated being with both of them because even after all those years she still felt like the odd one out.

**'Now, seriously, this getting pathetic.' **

Sakura growled in annoyance at the voice invading her thoughts.

'Do you ever shut up?' She asked.

**'I'm here to prevent stupid thoughts like those from getting to you!' Her inner self snapped. **

'Leave me alone.' Sakura moaned mentally.

Her troublesome alter ego didn't have time to respond as a sudden flash of light caught her trained eyes...an electrical blue light.

'Fuck! Don't tell me they went at each other again!' She thought in desperation...Rasengan and Chidori were too devastating to use against a friend...

Forcing chakra into her feet, the pink-haired medic took off in the direction of the light.

* * *

Sakura slid to a halt at the edge of a lake...

It wasn't Sasuke...

In the midst of the blinding blue electric light, was a man--standing in a lake of crimson fluid. He had dark skin and red eyes with a strange X-shaped scar over his face. A large number of complex circular and linear patterns ran up his arm.

'Is this a jutsu?' Sakura wondered for a moment.

'No,' She thought, 'He isn't using seals. It must be a kekkei genkai!'

His red eyes suddenly turned to her, his arm arcing her direction...sending a massive wave of energy at her.

Instinct kicked in as Sakura's chakra automatically flowed to her feet, her knees bending as she repelled off of the branch and into the air. Her hands flew up, a set of seals already in progress.

Substitution.

The man turned on her again, destroying the log with a single blast. But by then, Sakura was already coming at his back, her chakra infused fist pulled at her waist.

"Foolish girl." He sighed, ready his deadly touch...

Sensing something wasn't quite right, Sakura pulled to the side, his hand barely missing her. Pirouetting away from his follow-through, the chunin danced away.

'What is this...' She wondered looking down at her feet...

"Never lower you guard!" The man cried as he appeared in front of her.

Sakura's fist went down automatically, the lake bottom fracturing and jutting up into a makeshift shield...and drenching her in the crimson liquid.

And suddenly everything was too bright to handle and her body was awash in a foreign energy.

The last thing she heard was Naruto and Sasuke's collective cry of, "Sakura!"

And then her suddenly white world faded to black.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two: Transformation_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto. **

Sakura dragged herself through the leaf litter in a desperate attempt to get away. Her naked breasts scraped the ground and the raw skin on her stomach bled, mixing the metallic tang with the pungent earth in a nauseating combination. Groaning with the effort her movements exacted, she reached up and scraped a tree with her hand. Digging her broken and bloodied nails into the bark, she hauled herself up, clutching her injured arm.

Delicate twigs broke...the footsteps of her attacker getting closer...

Forcing herself into a run, Sakura dove for the relative cover of the underbrush. Curling herself up as tightly as she could, she clamped her hand over her mouth, hoping to stifle her ragged gasps.

"It came this way. Whatever it is, its hurt bad."

That wasn't the voice of the man who had attacked her...but she wasn't about to give away her position.

"Brother, what could it be?"

That voice was distinctly younger despite the imposing armor it was clad in.

"Be careful."

That voice was female...a blonde dressed in what Sakura assumed was a militaristic uniform vaguely similar to the ones she dressed in for formal treaty signings.

But all three were getting closer.

"The trail ends in those bushes..." The woman trailed off, cocking a metallic weapon.

"I'll go first." The older one replied as he stepped forward.

Sakura moved, darting from the bushed and into the clearing.

"Uh..." The young man...probably not a year older than she was, visibly blanched and blushed.

The younger one turned away completely, obviously quite embarrassed.

Only the woman remained facing her and unfazed.

Sakura crossed one arm of her chest, adjusting her footing so didn't reveal quite so much.

'Dammit, Sakura! This is no time for modesty!' She yelled at herself.

"You're in need of medical care." The woman stated.

Sakura didn't respond, but her fist trembled slighly as she collected her chakra into it.

The woman aimed the weapon at her, her finger on a trigger at the base.

Sakura reacted, slamming her fist into the ground with enough force to generate a small earthquake.

The woman was sent stumbling, her weapon skidding well away from her hand.

"Damn!" The older one charged her, pressing his hands together.

The same strange blue light emitted from them...

Sakura screamed...not at him, but at the figure rushing her...

"Scar!"

The cry accompanied the sudden backlash of flames the encircled her...not burning her, but protecting her.

Her head snapped to face the man appearing from the dust...in what she assumed was the male version of the female's clothing.

"Mustang!" The older blond cried happily.

"Sir." The woman saluted.

"I suggest you back away from the girl." He stated, pressing his middle finger and thumb together.

The man with the marred face smirked...and retreated into the tree line.

"Hawkeye." He motioned to Sakura, giving his lieutenant the cue.

The blond woman nodded, running up to Sakura as she shrugged off her jacket and wrapped it around the kunoichi's shoulders.

"We won't hurt you." She smiled, the sincere promise in her voice.

Sakura was stunned...scuttling back, she pressed herself against a nearby tree.

"Roy Mustang." The dark-haired man said to her, motioning to the female as he introduced her as "Riza Hawkeye." Continuing, he waved off-handedly to the blonde male, "Edward and the big guy is Alphonse."

"Sa...Sa...Sakura..." She managed.

"Pretty name." Rize smiled as she helped her to her feet.

Sakura stumbled, the lieutenant catching her by her shoulders.

"Where am I?"

"The forest outside of the State Military Headquarters." Roy replied.

Sakura knew she wasn't in Konoha anymore...

"You're in need of medical attention." Roy stated, trailing the rivets of blood that ran down her legs.

"She reeks of the red liquid." The blonde said contemptuously.

"Edward, that is hardly her fault." Riza snapped back.

"Red liquid?" She wondered aloud.

"The essence of humans." Edward said.

Sakura's head spun...she was covered in an extraction of human fluids?

'I am a medic...I am a medic...I deal with bodily fluids all the time...'

The mantra was useless...she bent over, emptying the sparse contents of her stomach into the nearby bushed.

"Ed, enough." Roy said--but it was an order.

Riza helped Sakura up, rubbing her back soothingly as the kunoichi wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

"Let's get you to SM." Riza suggested.

Sakura nodded numbly only to find that with her first step, her knees buckled and she fell.

"She's hurt to badly." Roy said, walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her as he lifted her to his chest.

"Sorry...I'm usually not so pathetic..." She whimpered.

"Pathetic? Not many young women could have held their own against Scar for so long. You are far from pathetic." He smiled.

She didn't even have the energy to nod...her head fell against his chest as her eyes closed.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three: Transformation pt.2_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto. **

Several of the officers looked on it something akin to a mix of curiosity and horror as Mustang carried an unconscious Sakura through the main office with Riza, Ed, and Al in tow.

"Armstrong, get the medical bay ready." He ordered.

The muscular alchemist nodded in response and hurried ahead of them to prep the room. So efficient was he that by the time Roy appeared down the hall, he had the gurney ready.

"Thank you." The Flame Alchemist said as he set the unconscious female down. Adding, "Hawkeye, if you would, please clean her up."

Motioning for the men to follow him, he left the kunoichi in his subordinate's capable hands.

* * *

Sakura awoke in a start as Hawkeye began to bandage her stomach. Sensing her fear, the blonde backed away, calmly assuring her it was, "Alright."

Sakura didn't reply as she brought her hand up to her exposed abdomen and mended the flesh.

The blonde looked faintly surprised for some reason Sakura couldn't fathom.

'She doesn't need a transmutation circle...' Riza thought before disappearing back through the door, retrieving an outfit, setting in down for the kunoichi, and pivoting to leave.

* * *

Sakura finished healing herself and quickly slipped into the black tank top and khaki shorts Riza had left her. Crossing her arms over her chest to comfort herself, Sakura stepped into the hall, glancing to the right.

"Hmph."

She spun to the left, facing the elder blonde she had seen earlier. He was leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed and his expression disapproving.

Returning his stare with equal ferocity, she asked, "Yes?"

"I know you're not normal. You've seen it."

"Seen what?" Sakura hissed.

"Don't play stupid."

"Watch yourself." She warned.

Ed lashed out, grabbing her arm with his metal limb. "The gate!"

Sakura winced, feeling a bone flex painfully to the point of breaking in his grasp. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"But you do! You don't need a transmutation circle!"

"Transmutation circle?! What are you talking about?!"

Ed pulled her close in a move that was quite threatening.

"Edward Elric!"

The blonde male turned to face an equally pissed blonde female who held a wrench in her fist.

"What do you think you're doing to that poor girl?!" She snapped.

"Getting answers!" He replied.

"I don't have any!" Sakura cried, wrenching herself free and turning to run down the hall only to find herself face to face--well, face to chest, with the man in the armor she had met earlier. Alphonse, if she remembered correctly.

"Brother, you should be nicer."

Sakura, bruised and feeling trapped, crouched down and rapidly lungied upwards. Grabbing the metal fixture beam her hands found, she pulled her legs up and scrambled into the rafters.

"What the...!" Winry trailed off.

"Get her!" Ed demanded as he sprinted in her direction.

Sakura, glancing back to see the furious Elric racing towards her, kicked in the grid to a ventilation system and scrambled inside.

"Damn!" Ed cursed, pivoting and racing up the nearby set of stairs--determined to catch her.

* * *

Sakura easily removed the grid from the next shaft she came to and clamored into the open air of the rooftop.

"Did you think you could run!?" Ed snapped as he lunged at her, his metallic limb sharpened to a deadly point.

Sakura dropped, narrowly avoiding the dagger like protrustion and kicking towards his ankle. The limber young alchemist quickly cartwheeled over it and landed behind her, striking her already black and blue arm with his boot.

Sakura gave a cry as she tumbled forward, landing on her already wounded arm and rolling to a stop.

"Now TALK!" He demanded.

Suddenly his armor clad brother appeared behind him, grabbing him and pressing him to his chest to restrain him.

"Brother! Please stop!" He pleaded as his elder tried to tear free.

Sakura wasn't about to stick around for him to get free. Planting her good arm on the edging of the roof, she vaulted her legs over. Landing in the soft sand, she took of into the desert.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter Four: Atonement_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto. **

"Edward Elric, if ever I had a desire to demote you, now would be it." Mustang said. It was a calm statement, but the threat behind it was loud and clear.

"Whatever."

"Brother!" Al snapped.

"Edward, Hawkeye has called to my attention Sakura's ability to work without transmutation circles. Is this what led you to believe she knew of The Gate?"

"What else would lead me to that conclusion?!" Ed snapped.

"Edward Elric, you will speak with respect to your commanding officer!" Armstrong replied throatily.

Ignoring the outburst from his youngest soldier, Roy reached for a slip of paper. "Now, we know Sakura is long gone. And we are well aware Scar wants something from here. She isn't in East City, either. Or at least not where we can locate her. And you claim her arm was injured?"

Ed nodded, feeling for the first time a twinge of guilt.

"Edward, as your punishment, you will find her and bring her back. Hawkeye will accompany you." Roy stated finally.

Ed turned to leave...

"And Edward..."

He looked back as the Flame Alchemist.

"If you lay one hand on her, you will be discharged from the State Military."

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO ME!" Ed yelled, slamming his hands on top of the desk and sending stacks of paper flying. "NOT AFTER ALL I'VE BEEN THROUGH!"

Roy regarded him coolly before replying, "Watch me."

* * *

Sakura pressed herself to an alley wall as several State Alchemist passed by--one of them leaving a flier with her likeness behind.

'Damn...' She thought, realizing her hair color alone made it nearly impossible to hide. But with her picture hanging on every telephone pole, she had zero hope.

Slipping back into the relative cover the darkness provided, she started making her way towards the borders of the East City.

* * *

Ed fumed silently as he roamed the back ways of East City with Hawkeye and Alphonse in tow.

"Brother, do you think she's alright?"

"I hope so, Al." He replied.

"So do I." Al said.

* * *

Sakura was running down one of the alleys when she caught a glimpse of herself in a puddle. It took her a minute to realize it was her own reflection: Her eyes were no longer a deep emerald...but a bright fuchsia. Shocked for just a moment, she suddenly disregarded the image and began running again.

* * *

Ed caught a glimpse of pink and took off after it.

"Edward?" Hawkeye called to him before sprinting beside him.

"Brother! Wait for me!" Al cried comically before jogging after them.

* * *

Sakura heard the footsteps behind her and forced more chakra into her feet to gain the speed she needed.

* * *

Ed leapt at her, pinning her.

Sakura felt him collide with her, shoving her down.

"Get off of me!" She cried, struggling to push him away.

He didn't reply...he didn't even blink...

"E...Ed?"

Blood dripped from his mouth as he slumped forward...a set of nails buried in his back.

"Lust!" Riza cried as she pumped bullets at the homunculus.

Gluttony jumped in front of his mistress...literally swallowing the bullets.

"Hmm...can I eat the skinny one?" The massive creature asked, motioning to Hawkeye.

"Try not to make a mess." Lust replied.

Gluttony lunged at the lieutenant with speed that never ceased to amaze her--And this time she didn't have the space to dodge.

Instinctively closing her eyes and throwing her arms up, she braced for a blow that would never come: At the last possible second, Sakura lunged in front of her, drilling her chakra infused fist into the homonculus' face.

"What the..." Lust trailed off in mild irritation as she flung her hand forward, her black nails extending.

Sakura shoved Riza aside as she ducked and danced through the female's attack.

Lust, shocked by the display of dexterity, didn't block the kunoichi's blow to her stomach.

"NOOO!"

Sakura barely skirted the attack that came from a desperate boy to her right. Spinning away, she refocused her chakra and hit the ground running--weaving beside him, she dropped into a well-placed sweeping kick.

Wrath quickly somersaulted over it, lashing out at the back of her neck. Sakura, sensing the attack, twisted her upper body and caught the appendage. Using it as a rail, Sakura hauled herself up while simultaneously dragging the young homonculus into her waiting fist.

Panting, Sakura rose and walked towards Edward. Focusing her chakra into her hand, she set about mending the lacerations in his back.

Within a few minute, the eldest Elric was struggling to his feet.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Sakura nodded with a smile.

"I was a bastard back there. I'm sorry." He blurted suddenly.

"It's alright." Sakura smiled.

"What about your arm?" He asked.

"Already on the mend." She replied.

"How can you sit here after what I did to you!?" He demanded, confused.

"Because you were willing to give your life for mine." She said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**_Chapter Five: Train Me!_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto. **

"Good job, Edward." Mustang said with a smirk as he eyed the pink-haired kunoichi before him.

"Whatever." The eldest Elric muttered.

"Brother!" Al whined back.

Sakura, suppressing a giggle, winked at Mustang.

"Sakura, it has come to my attention that you can preform several rather miraculous feats without a transmutation circle." He began, cutting straight to the point.

"A what?" She asked in genuine interest.

"We use it to focus our energy to preform a given number of tasks--but these need to follow a set of rules. Such as the Law of Equivalent Exchange:_** Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange." **_

"I see." Sakura replied.

"Now, very few people can preform Alchemy--the act of transmutating something into something else. But even fewer can preform without a circle. We believe that when you came to be in our world, you passed through a dimension known as the Gate--seeing the Gate allots a person with this ability. But seeing the Gate can mean many things--you've broken an unforgivable law or you've attained a higher state of being...any number of explanation. In this case, it seems the shift between your world and ours was the deciding factor." He continued.

"But in my world, the abilities I have are not abnormal." Sakura replied.

"Exactly. Meaning you need to train in our ways." The Flame Alchemist said. "And Edward is just the person to show you."

* * *

"Now, this," Ed began as he scrawled a complicated symbol is the sand, "Is a transmutation circle. Different alchemists have different circles--and different purposes require different circles sometimes, too."

Nodding, Sakura watched as he cut up and apple and scattered the pieces on the circle. Clapping his hands together, he placed them on the ground on either side of it.

A white light emanated from it, revealing as it cleared the same apple...whole.

"Now, I've seen the gate and I don't need a circle. But Al does." He said.

"And Mustang-sama?"

"He wears his on the friction gloves he has. He uses the ignition clothe to generate a spark he then manipulated by controlling the air with alchemy."

Sakura nodded.

"Now, you go ahead and try." He said as he stepped back.

Sakura took a breathe as she picked up the apple and cut it in half. But as she was putting it down, the light began to sparkle...from her palm. And as before, the apple was whole...

"What the..." Ed trailed off, jumping back in suprise.

"I don't know..." Sakura replied in shock.

"How did you do that?"

Sakura shrugged in confusion.

"What were you thinking about?" Al asked out of the blue.

"Well, I was remember how Ed did it." Sakura said.

"You...you...ca...can...do that...on...tho...though...alone!" The eldest Elric blanched.

"Can I?" She asked.

Ed fell back in complete shock.

"Do you have any idea what this means?"

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six: The Test pt 1_**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto. **

Sakura shook her head in response to Ed's question.

"It means you have the potential to be a State Alchemist." Roy interrupted as he walked up, a smirk across his face.

"A solider?" Sakura asked.

Al nodded.

"I see." She replied, crushing the apple in her palm--she was already a soldier...for Tsunade. But she needed them and they apparently wanted her; so why not take advantage of the situation?

"What do I need to do?"

"Pass a rigorous series of exams designed to push you physically and mentally." Roy said.

"When do I start?"

* * *

"Faster!" Ed yelled as he dodged her punch and landed a solid blow to her torso.

Reeling back, Sakura flipped--landing, she pushed herself up and lunged at him, her knee meeting his stomach. As he doubled over, she slammed her elbow into the small of his back. But by now, Al was on top of her, too!

Cartwheeling to the side, she dropped and spun--using her extended leg to land a blow to his ankles. He couldn't feel it, of course, but it was more than enough to drop him.

"Enough. I think that will do for now." Riza said as she intervened to stop the spar.

Sakura, gasping for air, agreed whole-heartedly.

"Very good. That combined with your strength will be more than enough to get your through round three." The lieutenant smiled.

"Why did they change the exams?" Ed asked, sitting back lazily against a tree.

"Various reasons." Riza replied.

"What about round one?" Sakura asked. She was most worried about the mental tests.

"You'll do fine. I'd worry about round five if I was you."

Sakura nodded--her alchemy needed a lot of work.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven: The State Exam**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or Naruto. No matter how much I wish I did…On to the story!**_

It had taken two months—two very long months—for Sakura to prep for the exam. Her days had been filled with sparring matches, text books, and such a vast number of alchemic circles her head spun at the mere thought of them.

And then came the morning of the exam…

Sakura was in the middle of a pleasant dream situated back in Konoha when Ed literally kicked her door in, tore the blanket off of her, snatched the pillow out from under her head, and yanked the blinds opened.

"What the hell!?" She cried, scrambling up.

"Time to get moving!" He smirked.

"What time is it?!" She moaned.

"About eight-thirty." He replied.

Sakura yelped in surprise as she leapt off of her bed and dashed into the bathroom. Slipping on the tile, she barely managed to kick the door closed as she jerked off her shirt and tossed it somewhere in the bathtub. Yanking her shorts over her ankles, she began fumbling for her shirt.

'I know I laid everything out last night!' She cried to herself in exasperation.

Finally finding the turtleneck, she rammed it over her head and jerked her khaki pants over her ankles. Slightly panicked, she made the mistake of pulling on her socks as she attempted to get out of the bathroom: She wound up somersaulting clumsily across the hardwood floor and colliding with her nightstand.

"Ouch…" She groaned, rubbing the back of her head. But her anguish quickly turned to joy as her boots fell down into her lap. Lacing them up as rapidly as she could, she stumbled to her feet.

"Gotta go!" She smiled, waving to Edward (who was still standing rather stunned by her bedside) and—out of habit—vaulting herself through her window.

"Wow…" Edward sighed, his hands tucked deeply into his pockets as he shrugged.

* * *

Sakura, last in line, barely made it to the desk before they closed entries. And she approached at such a speed that when she collided with the desk, she nearly threw herself over it. Overcorrecting, she slipped back and landed squarely on her back. Jumping up, her face a bright shade of red, she smiled nervously as she handed the elderly foreman the stack of formal documents she'd been carrying with her.

"Running a little behind schedule?" The attendant asked as he stamped her paperwork.

"A little." She admitted with a blush.

"Well, I won't say anything if you don't." He winked as he pushed her papers back at her.

Sakura smiled in gratitude as she took off, this time at a jog, towards the testing room.

* * *

Sakura easily found her assigned seat and, much to her surprise, actually had a few minutes to chat with the other hopefuls before the proctor called for silence.

"Now, you have one hour to complete the exam." The official stated as he walked around, passing out thick packets of paper and pencils.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" The officer snapped suddenly as he took his place back at the front of the auditorium.

Spurred to life, Sakura picked up her pencil and glanced at the first question and began writing. The answers came rushing back to her and by the third question there was no hesitation; it was as if everything she had learned flowed from her mind to her arm and through the pencil onto the paper. She wasn't even aware of flipping the pages until she turned the last page and found a tabletop instead of a problem.

Standing, she smoothed her shirt over her thighs, conscious of the stares the other contenders were giving her. Suppressing a blush, she drew herself up and walked down the seemingly endless stairs to the proctor.

As she approached his desk, he snarled, "No questions allowed."

"I'm done, sir." She replied.

"What?" He growled.

"I'm finished." Sakura responded more firmly.

"Impossible." He scoffed.

Sakura planted the sheaf of documents down on his desk. "Take a look for yourself."

He snorted off-handedly as he gathered it into his massive hands and began absently flipping through it. But at some point, he slowed down and started reading over her answers, his eyes widening ever so slightly.

"You may proceed to Auditorium Fifteen." He said.

* * *

Sakura was ushered into a very dark room through which sunlight entered via a skylight cut in the ceiling. Across the room sat a panel of what she assumed were high ranking military officials based on their uniforms. Directly in front of them was a chair—one with three legs.

"Please," The tallest male replied in a smooth voice that was obviously a concealed challenge, "Have a seat."

"Thank you." Sakura replied as she slid her lithe figure into the seat and crossed her legs.

The chair didn't so much as wobble…

Clearly thrown, it took the man a moment to regain his composure before asking, "Why do you want to be State Alchemist?"

"I'm looking for my home. And once I get back, I want to be able to defend it." She replied, careful not to give much away.

"And why did you leave your home in the first place?" The only female member asked.

"It wasn't really a choice on my part. But, I figure, why not make the best of it?" She shrugged.

"Why not, indeed?" One of the members muttered.

The general coughed pointedly before concluding the interview. "We'll see you on the field in five minutes."

* * *

The final three portions of the test were all practicals: There would be an opportunity for her to display her hand-to-hand, a chance for her to prove her alchemic skills, and a simulated mission task in which she would have to work with a cell. And, unlike the three portions prior, they were open to both public and military viewing.

By now, the written exams had eliminated a lot of the competition; in fact, by the time Sakura had been shown to the locker rooms, more than half of her opposition had been knocked out.

"As I imagine you're aware," The proctor stated, seemingly materializing out of thin air, "many of the candidates are out. That doesn't mean you can start getting sloppy. This will be the only time you're permitted contact with the individuals you listed as your associates on Form A1. And, do keep in mind, you're being monitored at all times."

With that, the official clicked his heels and disappeared again. Moments later, the locker rooms filled with people.

"Hey, Sakura!" Ed called, waving to her as he walked over with a bundle under his arms.

"Hey, Ed! What's up?" She asked, smiling.

"Not much." He shrugged, "I've got your stuff."

"Sweet!" Sakura yelped happily as she jumped up and hugged him—the reason contact was permitted between these stages was to provide participants with their alchemic garments, specific weapons, and changes of clothes more appropriate for battle.

"I can't stay long. But you can bet I'll be rooting for you." He said, turning on his heels and walking back out.

* * *

Sakura hadn't even finished pulling on her clothes when the announced she was to be the first out. Taking a deep breath, she adjusted the snug black shirt (almost identical to her crimson shirt in cut), white skirt, black shorts combo Edward had brought her and tightened the laces on her boots.

"Good luck." One of them whispered as she walked past them.

Sakura glanced back with a smile as she opened the door and began down the hall that led to the battle grounds.

Stepping out onto the massive field, she took her directed place and began surveying her opponent: He was of a massive frame and build with red hair and striking green eyes similar to what Sakura's once were. He wore a tawny tunic, grey pants, and a loose black cloak covered in white alchemic circles. She quickly recognized them as fire types.

'I'll have to watch my mid-ranges with him.' Sakura thought as she pulled her black gloves over her wrists.

"You may begin." The proctor said with a shriek of his whistle.

Sakura forced chakra into her feet and took off in a sprint at her opponent. Using the flickering movements shinobi long favored, she rushed him side long. Drawing her fist back, she lunged at him.

He was clearly unnerved for a moment before he flipped away from her.

Sakura growled as her fist met thin air. Spinning, she brought her leg at his ankle. He moved just inches outside of her range and pressed his hands to the seal on his cloak.

"You're finished!" He cried; crimson flame emanating from his hands and spiraling towards her.

"Not even!" Sakura yelled, crouching as she slammed her fist into the ground.

A slab of earth tore up through the ground, providing a make-shift shield. Using the momentum that of the small earthquake she had generated, she flipped onto her hands and planted her feet against the wedge of rock, shattering it into hundreds of sharp spikes.

Forced to relinquish his upper hand, he dashed left to avoid injury. Sliding to a halt, he sent another wave of scarlet and orange blaze at her.

Sakura flipped away, arcing twice before coming to a stop.

"You're not getting away!" He yelled, swinging his hands forward and letting a line of fire careen towards her.

'Just watch me!' Sakura thought as she cart wheeled over the row of fire and came at him again.

'Foolish girl!' He thought, bringing his hands around again.

Sakura dropped; extending her leg, she spun, kicking his legs right out from under him. As he went toppling back, she rolled herself into a handstand and brought her legs under his back. He rose slightly with the blow and she was able to leap up, pull her fist back, and land a critical blow to his stomach so great that the wall he slammed into fractured with the brunt of the assault.

Panting, Sakura dropped back into a defensive guard and waited for his retaliation.

But he didn't rise and the last she saw of him was the medics carrying him away on a gurney.

The rest of the fight progressed slowly (viewed via closed circuit cameras in the locker rooms) with very few of the remaining competitors winning against their opponents. By the time they were done, it was clear this exam would last a full twenty-four hours—the sun was already low in the horizon. And they still had two more portions to complete!

Just as Sakura was lamenting the amount of time she was bound to be there, the intercom overhead suddenly crackled to life: "All remaining candidates are to report to the East Field."

Rocking to her feet, Sakura sighed as she shuffled into the single file line flowing through the double doors.

* * *

The man who had conducted their earlier interviews now stood before them as an opposing figure. Sakura had judged he was large, but she hadn't fathomed how _huge _he was until she was standing before them.

"Now," He said, "You will be provided with an item that you may transmutate into anything you wish. Points are awarded for difficulty, originality, and the overall usefulness of your creation."

"Samantha Dartyke, you will go first."

Sakura turned to see the same girl who had wished her luck step out of the line and accept a bolt of clothe from an official.

'I wonder what she's going to do with it.' Sakura thought as she watched the young woman draw a transmutation circle.

She quickly stood, brushing her long black hair out of her eyes before clapping her hands together and bringing them down. A soft glow began to pulse from the intricate design as the fabric was swallowed in a similar light. As the radiance began to dim, Sakura realized she had morphed the cloth into a full suit of armor.

It was impressive, but Sakura was sure she would lose points for the lack of difficulty in fine detail she saw in the protective garment.

"You may return to the line, Ms. Dartyke." The General said, jotting notes on a pad. "Mr. Cullen, you may proceed. Your item will be Ms. Dartyke's product."

That was all it took for their agenda to click in Sakura's mind: They selected an item with the least potential and gave it to the weakest link to work with. That would certainly hinder anyone following after who had to work with the product of the last alchemist.

'So…that's their game…' Sakura thought, narrowing her eyes. That also meant they were being called up in the order in which they had preformed thus far.

Sakura watched as the unfortunate young man attempted to transform the suit into a weapon only to fail and have the metal puddle at his feet.

"You're dismissed." The General stated matter-of-factly.

The dejected youth nodded as he stumbled off of the field. And his dismal failure resulted in five more being out rightly disqualified. The remaining six just barely passed and by the time Sakura's name was called, she was forced to work with an ice sculpture.

Stepping up, she laid her hands against the rapidly liquefying swan and took a deep breath.

'Here goes nothing…' She thought as she began to manipulate the creation.

Beneath the resulting veil of light, it fractured into hundreds of petal-shaped silhouettes that scattered into the air. Still enshrouded in a gentle glow, they began to dance.

"Now!" Sakura cried to herself, drawing her energy back completely.

The light fell away in thick a dusting of particles to reveal hundreds of razor sharp weapons, all at her control.

"You may return to the line." The General nodded, taking still more notes before continuing, "Now, we'll proceed to the simulation dark room."

The lingering seven quickly proceeded after him. They walked for several minutes before they came to what looked like a massive warehouse, painted black and sunk partially beneath the ground.

"Now, we have an uneven number of competitors so you have been grouped according to your scores thus far: Sakura, Samantha, Anthony, you're one team. Jonathon, Kale, Jason, and Anya, you four will compose the second. Your objective is to defeat the other team. You do this by reaching the end point as a team before your opponents." He affirmed, stepping aside to allow them entry.

* * *

"This will definitely be the hardest part." Roy stated.

"Yeah." Ed agreed.

The viewers had all been moved to indoor rooms with massive plasma screens: On the upper right of these screens was a diagram that group individual by number and teams as a color. Each was represented by a dot that was labeled with a figure and hue. Sakura, blue team, member three, was clustered tightly with her group in the left hand corner. Their opponents were on the same plane at the opposite end of the building. The lower left segment of the screen offered profiles on each one of them along with the scores of the tests they'd already completed. The rest of the screen was taken up by life-feed images—in night vision.

That room was a killer, literally: It was pitch black, rigged with traps, and designed with the express purpose of eliminating potential State Alchemists.

"Do you think she'll be alright, brother?" Al asked.

"I hope so." Ed replied.

* * *

"If we stick together, we'll be fine." Sakura whispered, hoping to avoid giving away their position.

"I'll go first. Stay close." Anthony said as he transmutated a strip of his shirt into a rope. "Keep a hold of this."

Sakura nodded as she wrapped a small segment around her waist before handing it to Samantha.

"Ready?" Anthony asked, feeling his way into the maze.

"Let's go!" Sakura replied, following after with Samantha in tow.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight: The Darkness_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or Naruto. _**

"Are we close?" Samantha asked, her voice a choked whisper.

"I don't know."Anthony replied as he continued to feel his way along the corridors.

'Something isn't right here...' Sakura thought.

A moment later the floor beneath them gave way. Anthony cried out as he tumbled into the darkness, the sudden jerk on the line pulling Sakura with him.

Samantha shrieked, grasping for the edge of a passage.

"Hold on!" Sakura demanded as she began rocking her lower body.

"I can't!" Samantha called back down.

"Yes, you can!" Sakura snapped as her feet finally brushed the edge of the inverse column. Letting her body fall back, she planted her feet against the wall; her chakra surged and she easily adhered to it.

"Anthony, I'm going to swing you up. Grab the ledge and don't let go!"

"Alright." He replied.

Sakura didn't hesitate: Sakura wrenched the line sharply. Feeling the rush of air as he flew past her, she pushed off of the wall. The added momentum carried them back onto solid ground.

"Everyone okay?" Sakura asked, forcing herself up.

"I'm good." Anthony replied.

"Same here." Samantha whispered.

"Good. Let's keep moving." The kunoichi said, taking the lead.

* * *

"That was way too close..." Ed sighed.

"She's good." Roy stated, folding his hands thoughtfully.

"Yeah..." Al trailed off.

* * *

"Stop!" Sakura yelled, not bothering to hide their location-because it was a death trap...

"What's wrong?" Anthony hissed. The last thing he wanted was the enemy barging in on them.

"Trip lines." Sakura seethed back. "And they're everywhere!"

"What do we do?" Samantha asked.

"To late to turn back-we should just try to navigate it." Sakura shrugged.

"Are you crazy?!" Anthony shot back.

"No, just determined." Sakura smirked. "Now, follow my lead."

Sakura didn't wait for them to protest before she began running her hands gently along the wires. She had to be careful-the least amount of pressure could be deadly...

Already she was perspiring gently as she began to paint a mental diagram of the layout of the wires based on feel alone: a neat little trick Tsunade had taught her to compensate for situations in which she might have to fight in rigged, dark environments.

"Here goes nothing..." Before her nerve left her, she stepped over the first line.

"Anthony, feel along the wall to your right. That's where the first wire begins-it slopes down to the floor. Watch the angle. Samantha, twist slightly to the left watch and your head; there are wires at eye level and another at the height of your neck."

In truth, her directions were unnecessary: She was controlling them with thin lines of chakra attached to key points in their body-essentially, a puppet jutsu. But it did nothing to their minds, so as far as they were concerned, it was of their own volition. In this manner, she had complete control of the situation. Not to mention, it made her team look great.

* * *

"They're so close!" Ed said, pumping his fist.

Roy nodded silently, smirking with some comment only he knew.

* * *

Sakura saw a faint light at the end of the wide corridor. The end...

"It's finally over..." Samantha sighed.

"Let's go!" Sakura replied, jerking the line so hard with her sprint she physically pulled them to the end. Her momentum carried her right through the loosely sealed door and into a plain white room. Instantly, the screen that occupied a corner of the room flickered to life.

"Congratulations, Haruno Sakura. You pass. And thank you, Anthony and Samantha, for so kindly proctoring this exam."

Sakura turned to her teammates, both of whom were smirking.

"You're an excellent candidate." Anthony stated, his demeanor changing from a head strong, arrogant greenhorn to that of an experienced, confident solider.

"You'll do well." Samantha agreed, transforming from the shy, unsure girl to a woman capable of taking on the world and giving some back.

"Thanks." Sakura smiled.

"Your friends are waiting outside that door." Samantha added, motioning to another door nearby.

Sakura nodded, her smile widening as she stepped out and into the arms of a very eager Edward.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

**_Chapter Nine: The Day After_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or FMA. _**

Sakura felt an apricot flush enter her cheeks as the Fullmetal Alchemist pulled her into an embrace.

"That was incredible!" He yelled, pushing away from her to high-five her.

"Uh...thanks..." Sakura stammered.

"Are you alright, Ms. Sakura?" Al asked, noting the color in her face.

"Uh...Yeah!" Sakura replied, scratching at the back of her head, embarrassed.

Roy, appearing last from behind the kunoichi, clapped her on the shoulder and congratulated her.

"Thanks." Sakura smiled.

"I look forward to seeing you in my office at eight A.M. tomorrow morning for your debriefing."

"I'll be there."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me." Mustang said as he walked towards a waiting Riza. Her arms were full of folders-what Sakura assumed where test results.

"Well...wasn't that warm..." Ed stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sakura opened her mouth to laugh, but it quickly turned to a yawn.

"Tired?"Al asked.

"A little."

"Good thing the base isn't far from here." Ed shrugged.

Although nothing showed on her face that was definitely one thing Sakura was grateful for.

* * *

Sakura stumbled into her room and collapsed across her bed. Rolling over, mostly because she didn't have the energy to pull the blanket up, she curled up and closed her eyes.

She was asleep not more than thirty seconds later.

* * *

Sakura would have liked nothing more than to sleep in...but she had a meeting with Mustang. And the last thing she needed was to look bad on her first day as a State Alchemist. So, when the alarm clock tolled inevitably at seven forty-five, she groaned, pushed back her hair, and forced herself to her feet.

She glanced around the room, looking for her shoes before realizing they were still laced up her legs.

'I guess that's one less thing for me to do...' She thought as she stretched her sore limbs.

Shuffling across the room, she opened the door and stepped into the hall.

* * *

"Come in." Mustang replied to the light rap on his door.

A moment later, it swung up as Sakura stepped inside and pushed it back behind her. With a bow, she said, "Good morning, Colonel Mustang-san."

"Good morning." Mustang said, not bothering to look up from the stack of papers in front of him. "You did well on the test. But we'll have to wait to give you an official title until we've seen more of your alchemy."

Sakura nodded.

"I wished to discuss with you your unusual test scores, particularly on the written portion."

"And may I ask what was abnormal?" Sakura replied.

"Aside from the fact you received a hundred, nothing."

Sakura smiled to herself-it seemed no matter how strong she became as a ninja, she still excelled at exams.

"You only had two months to study."

"Are you implying something?" Sakura asked.

"Sharp, I see."

"If you think I cheated, I'd be happy to retake the exam."

"That won't be necessary. Cheating is a bit of a tradition."

"One I'd prefer not to honor."

"I think it's safe to assume you were honest."

"In short," Mustang concluded, "you did well."

* * *

Sakura started back towards her room as soon as she was dismissed.

'Man...am I glad that's over.' She thought, stretching her arms over her head and closing her eyes in a sigh.

A moment later she found herself sprawled out on the floor after colliding with something...

"Ow..."

The pink-haired alchemist looked up towards the moan: It had come from an attractive blonde who was now rubbing a sore spot on the back of her head. Her skirt had flipped up along her legs; not enough to see anything, but more than enough to make both of them uncomfortable.

"Oh! Hi! So nice to finally meet you!" The blonde suddenly gushed, taking Sakura's hand and shaking it vigorously.

"Uh...hi?" Sakura replied uncertainly.

"Oh! Duh! You don't me! I'm Winry, Ed's mechanic."

"I'm Sakura." She said, not quite sure what _else_ to say.

Ed suddenly peaked around the corner, Al's imposing figure cowering behind him.

"I thought we lost her..." He groaned a bit too audibly.

"There they are!" Winry exclaimed, her face darkening notably, "Now, get back here, you two!"

She scrambled up, producing a wrench seemingly out of nowhere and sprinting towards them.

"What...just happened?" Sakura wondered aloud before picking herself up.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten: Mission to Rush Valley_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or FMA! _**

Sakura stood and dusted herself off as best she could. But even before she had completed that small task, Hawkeye was bearing down on her.

"Sakura, Colonel Mustang wants to see you in his office immediately."

"I was just there." She replied, wondering if it was a scheduling mistake.

"I know. This is different."

* * *

"Mission briefing..." Sakura trailed off.

"Yes. You see, there have been several reports of terrorist attacks in the deserts around Rush Valley. Several hundred are believed to be injured and the last platoon that was dispatched has yet to return or report back. Sakura is the only one with the medical capabilities to handle such a situation. Your job is to get down there and take care of business. Take care of the injured, take out the rebels and, if possible, recover the platoon."

* * *

Sakura boarded the train, following after Edward as Alphonse finished purchasing food goods for the trip. Aside from Al-not much could be done covertly for him-they had made radical changes in their appearances: Edward was dressed down in a beige tunic, black jacket and grey pants with civilian boots. His State Military watch had been left behind for the sake of caution. Sakura, an unknown in the area, had the luxury of leaving her hair alone. But her fuchsia eyes were masked by a set of deep blue contacts. She wore a form fitting, gauzy white turtle neck shirt that hit just below her breasts and a simple black skirt with a pair of shorts underneath; Over her shoulders hung a black trench coat. Her hands were covered in thin black gloves that stretched as far as her elbows and her feet were clad in boots with a heel that would have bordered on ridiculous if it weren't for the blade hidden in them. They all carried simple, black packs with no distinguishing markings.

She slid into the compartment after him and settled into a seat as the last call was made. But by then, Al was already walking down the narrow corridor towards them. A moment later, he sat back in a seat, closed the sliding door, and watched the scenery graduate as the train pulled forward.

"Who do you think is doing it? Rush Valley isn't a political focal point, it's a trade route." Sakura stated.

"I don't know. But whoever they are, they just bit off more than they can chew." Ed replied, his prosthetic hand tightening into a fist.

* * *

Sakura stepped into the hot desert air, sweeping her hair back before it founds its way into her eyes.

"It's is way too quiet..." She whispered, surveying the deserted, yet undamaged stands. Not a single person wandered the streets and the only sound was the faint whistle of wind colliding with the walls of the few permanent structures the Valley housed.

"Hey, bitch, if you don't want problems, you'll get right back on that train."

Sakura turned calmly to the bandit that she knew was clumsily attempting to sneak up behind her.

"Oh...a beauty, I see." He sneered, "Well, we could make an _exception _for you."

"I suggest you step back." Ed replied, hands buried deep in his pockets.

"Oh...a little boyfriend, I see."

"You really are quite rude." Al stated as he stepped up to back up his brother.

As if the threat was suddenly apparent, several dozen more men peered out from the shadows and crept closer.

"Now, why don't you come along quietly?" The initial aggressor suggested as his hand snaked around Sakura's wrist.

"Not even." She replied as she calmly gripped his hand with her free one, twisted, and spun; effectively pinning him, she planted her foot between his shoulder blades to keep him down.

A collective cry of rage tore through the group of robbers and they attacked, pulling knives and daggers from their oversized clothing.

Sakura side stepped the first thrust that came at her back. Pivoting on her leg, she landed a solid blow to the man's chest. Quickly straightening her leg, she twisted in a pirouette that sent four more sprawling. Beside her, Ed quickly leveled a dagger away from his ribcage as he brought his knee into the man's stomach. Tossing the stunned man, he gained a precious few seconds to flip away from a group rally at his back. Al, working quickly, had launched his impressive bulk between the onslaught. Naturally, their daggers bent harmlessly around his metal frame and he made even faster work of them.

The remaining bandits barely took the time to gather their fallen men before scurrying back into the shadows...and that told Sakura everything she needed to know.

Only thieves new or very old to such work would take time to help fallen comrades: The young ones to preserve their reputation and the older ones based on an honor code. However, time-hardened criminals wouldn't risk their own necks for such and endeavor and a terrorist certainly wouldn't give even a backward glance. These were just men taking advantage of the lack of law enforcement in Rush Valley. So where were the bad guys?

"That was too easy." Ed said, his thoughts nearly identical to her own.

"Agreed. But nothing we can do about it now except move out." Sakura replied.

"Pardon me, Miss...but might you be the ones we've been waiting for?"

Sakura turned instinctively towards the old, frail voice. It belonged to an equally frail man, his hair white and his beard an unruly tangle of curls.

"And who are you waiting for?"

"The State."

Sakura nodded, smiling.

* * *

The old man, Henry, quickly lead them into the tunnels of Rush Valley, far below the buildings and the threat of attack. Deep in these figurative catacombs, the citizens of Rush Valley had congregated for the purpose of survival. But they lacked everything: food, clothing, clean water, medical supplies...

Not even three minutes in and Sakura saw injuries more severe than could reasonably be dealt with my only one medic. But she didn't have much choice. She would have to fall back on a tactic she had seen Tsunade use only once (And only in practice); she would have to heal through a vessel...through Katsuyu's daughters.

"Ed, I need all of the injured in one place, please. Al, please bring me some fresh water-boiling if you can manage it." She said, falling intuitively into the mindset of a medic as she threw her jacket and pack aside.

Bending down, she brought her thumb to her mouth and bite down sharply. The bitter, coppery taste in her mouth was all the reassurance she needed as her hand flew up and began weaving the set of seals for the summoning. An instant later, her palm slammed into the ground and a cloud of smoke erupted from around her.

"Sakura!" A set of voice happily chorused as the slugs clustered around her.

"Hey guys," Sakura smiled, patting each one affectionately. "I know it's been a while but I need you guys now."

"You can count on us!" The smallest of the dozen replied.

"Good. Now, you know the drill. Let's go!"

Sakura nipped her index finger harshly and rapidly drew a summoning circle around herself. Settling down into the middle of it, she let her hands find their respective places in the seal of the tiger. Closing her eyes, she focused her chakra and began working.

This technique was particularly risky for a few reasons: The first being that the sheer output of chakra required for it was immense. The second being that few people had the concentration necessary to complete the jutsu because it required her to split her attention a dozen times over; she would be seeing everything that they did, hearing everything they did, smelling, tasting, feeling _everything_. It was utterly overwhelming to those without the ability to divide their attention without compromising their healing. And, thirdly, it was an excellent way to kill yourself or destroy your mind...

'Well, there's no time for indecision right now...' She reasoned as she again focused her chakra and began the tedious process.

* * *

It was by some odd and fluky miracle that she had enough chakra to heal all of the life-threatening wounds and even some of the severe ones before her chakra network collapsed and her summoning failed at last. As was its nature, the circle around her dissolved into a brief plume of green haze before dissipating entirely.

Falling back against her arm, she took several laborious gasps before her head cleared enough for her to realize it was actually Edward holding her up.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded vaguely, fighting to keep her eyes open.

"Don't lie to me!" He snapped although the instant change to remorse flashed across his handsome features.

Sakura nodded.

"I don't think she's coherent, Brother." Al said, concern marring his voice.

"What should we do?" Ed asked, feeling helpless.

"I'm...plenty...coherent..." Sakura fought back weakly.

Ed resisted the urge to yell in frustration as he clumsily shrugged off his jacket and laid it across her with his free hand.

"What manner of alchemist is she!?" One of the elders demanded.

"The kind that just saved your asses." Ed snapped back.

"Now, now..." Henry stepped between them, "No harm was done and much good was accomplished."

"Brother, we should really start scouting the valley." Al said wanly from behind.

Ed growled in aggravation but the fact remained his younger brother was right. "Fine."

* * *

Sakura bolted up with a startled gasp. But rather than whatever dark creature had haunted her dreams, she found herself facing the grateful, if not equally startled, civilians.

"Sorry..." She muttered sheepishly as she rose up on her unsteady legs. "Where are my two friends?"

"They went above to scout the area." Henry replied, moving to steady her.

Sakura politely brushed him away and asked, "Where is my pack?"

"Why, right here." He smiled, pressing it at her.

"Thanks. I'll be back soon." She replied, slinging it over her shoulder as she began back towards the concealed entrance.

* * *

Sakura slipped expertly into the shadows and, with her trench coat pulled over her white blouse, easily faded into them.

'Where could they be?' She wondered as she swung herself up onto the balcony of a building.

Dashing lightly across it to the relative safety of the next cranny, she pressed her ear to the ground. Nothing...no movement whatsoever....

Suddenly she found herself trapped in the convergent point of an alchemic circle. The ground rose up into steel bars the fused into a cage.

"Finally got you!"

Sakura spun to meet a girl, her short, spiky black hair pulled back severely. Her legs were wrapped in loose, cargo camouflage capris pants and her torso was hugged by a black tank top.

"Here we go again...." Sakura sighed as she brought her fist back and swung forward. The steel easily caved under her iron fist and she quickly rounded the girl and pinned her.

"Identify yourself!" Sakura hissed, pulling the girl's arm back sharply to restrain her.

"Name's Paninya." She growled.

"You must be one of the terrorists."

"Says the bomber!"

"What are you talking about?!" Sakura demanded.

"She came this way!"

That was Ed's voice, his figure blocking the moonlight as he rounded the corner.

"Sakura...." Al trailed off, not far behind.

"Nice try, Paninya, but you got the wrong girl!" Ed snapped suddenly as he marched over and bodily hauled them apart. "She's an ally!"

"Oh..." Paninya laughed, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Are you sure you should be up, yet?" Ed asked, spinning to face her.

"I'm fine." She replied.

"Are you sure?" Al asked.

"Positive."

"Good, because we have nothing." Ed snorted, sulking slightly.

"The terrorists must be around here somewhere." Sakura replied.

Another shadow fell over them from the rooftops. "Very astute."

The comment was apparently the key for several more to slink from the shadows. And these weren't bandits....

"Attack." The shadowy figure ordered.

They scattered: Ed cart wheeled right as Al grabbed Paninya and carried her to the left along with his own bulk. Sakura crouch, ready to jump...and time slowed down.

'Not now...!' She thought desperately.

Delayed Perceptional Acuity was the worst side-effects of the art Sakura had preformed; Vessel Manipulative Healing produced inhuman amounts of stress on the brain. Literally, the neurons degraded slightly-electrical impulses failed to carry at the right speed or to the right parts of the body. This was followed shortly by adrenaline shock-the product of the body's failure to release adrenaline at the proper time in the proper proportion. Very soon, if she survived the attack at all, she would go into cardiac arrhythmia and eventually cardiac arrest as her body pumped adrenaline into her blood stream at such a rate as to be lethal if not fatal. Her breathing would elevate to the point of hyperventilation, her kidneys would shut down....

"Sakura!"

To her impeded sensory discernment, it appeared as it Ed had simply appeared next to her, his after image fading behind him. But in reality, he had charged her the moment she had hesitated. He collided with her, the sensation reaching her long after they had tumbled to the ground.

For a split second reality came rushing back at her. And now it was all fractured: Movement and sensation mixed until Sakura heard color and when attempting to move her arms, felt her legs quaver. Edward and Al swarmed in and out of her line of vision, the color of veil over her eyes constantly shifting. Her own physical movements changed from behind annoyingly weak to agonizingly painful...

It seemed like hours to her, but in factuality the attack had been repelled in less than three minutes.

"What is wrong with her?" Ed demanded, his voice rippling in feverish waves.

"I don't know." Paninya replied, hovering nervously over her.

Sakura's world swirled to black and she faded into a void as her heart gave one failing, quavering beat before stopping.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter Eleven: Resuscitate_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or FMA. _**

"Damn it!" Ed cried, seeing her eyes clothes and hearing her already faint breathing cease.

Kneeling down beside her, he rested his two hands against her sternum; pushing back the natural embarrassment at being so close to her breasts, he pressed down. Her ribcage caved slightly but, much to his relief, he didn't hear any of her ribs snap. Gently pinching the bridge of her nose, he brought his lips to her's and forced air into her lungs.

He continued in the broken rhythm, refusing to give up on her. And, after what was most certainly an eternity to them, her body was racked with violent convulsions as she hungrily gulped down air on her own accord.

Gasping, she rolled instinctively onto her side and pressed a hand to her bruised breastbone.

Ed grabbed her, gently rolling her against him into a better position until she finally cleared her lungs.

A collective sigh of relief escaped the group.

"Th...thanks...." Sakura smiled weakly, unable to think of anything else.

"You're incredibly reckless." Ed replied, smiling despite his harsh words.

"We should find some cover." Al suggested from the background.

"Good idea." The elder Elric replied as he slung Sakura's arm across his neck and slid one arm under her back and another under her knees.

* * *

Sakura's form continued to tremble fiercely against his.

"Are you alright?" He asked despite the obvious answer.

"I'm fine." She replied sleepily.

He nodded-he wasn't totally opposed to lies that did more to comfort him than to harm him.

"We're going to finish the search. You two stay here." Paninya said as she led him back into the tunnels of Rush Valley.

"Alright. Be careful." He replied as she rolled a pile of debris over the entrance.

"We will be." Al assured him before the darkness closed in on them.

He sighed and sat back, Sakura still seated comfortably on his lap.

"What happened out there?" He asked finally.

"An...unforeseeable....side effect of my...alchemy." She replied.

"Well, don't do it again!" He huffed, tightening his grasp on her.

"I won't." She promised as she leaned against him.

And suddenly she was _very _aware of the way her body fit against his and his hot breath against her neck...the rise and fall of his toned chest...the grip of his hand around her waist...

They were so close...their lips were brushing....

It happened so fast, Sakura didn't realize what was happening for a moment. And then she began fighting for dominance, her hands roving his body just as freely as his did her's. She pushed back against him as he cradled her, their tongues fighting again.

All too soon, the need for oxygen arose and they were forced apart, their labored breathing piercing the silent darkness.

"So...what does this mean?" She finally asked.

"I think you know the answer to that." He smirked.

It was funny how the sudden turn towards death could so radically redesign a friendship into something so much more...

"If you want, you can go back." She said.

"I think my place is here for right now." His hold on her tightened ever so slightly.

* * *

The next morning, Al rolled aside the pile of debris again...and smiled to himself.

They were lying there, Edward propped up against the wall with Sakura seated comfortably on him; both of them fast asleep.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**_

* * *

_**

**_Chapter Twelve: Reinforcement_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or FMA. _**

Sakura groaned slightly as the light of the day invaded her eyes. She instinctively moved against Ed, seeking to shield her face before finally rousing herself. Similarly, beside her Ed was waking.

"Damn sunlight..." He muttered as he stood up, gently setting her against the wall.

She laughed, closing her eyes for one more moment before pulling herself to her feet.

"Any luck last night?" Ed asked, pulling his coat over his shoulders.

"None." Paninya snorted.

"We had them a few times but they kept getting away." Al added.

"Well, then, we have a busy day ahead of us." The older Elric stated.

* * *

Sakura moved through the town, meeting _no _resistance.

It was unsettling...

She fiddled, out of impulse, with the radio slipped in her ear. She hadn't heard anything for about an hour but she wasn't too concerned just yet. It was just a likely they were shadowing the guilty party and didn't want to risk detection.

The sentiment quickly evaporated as, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure slink into a nearby ally. With calculated cool, she waited until she was sure he had dropped his guard and then slipped in behind him.

He was obviously nervous, glancing every which way every few seconds as if he were looking for a demon to materialize out of thin air. But he quickly continued.

She followed him easily, tailing him with the expertise of a tracker.

He led her down several alley ways, through a few sewers, past the destroyed remains of houses, and back into the old catacombs of the city: He entered through what she thought was a sewer vent but the design was far too elaborate for such a job. Immediately suspicious, she sprinted in after him-he had been kind enough to forget to close it.

As he moved below her, she crawled along the metallic rafters in the tubes above him. The shadows hid her well and her motions were far too soft to be detected by his ears of the din they were rapidly approaching.

The gentle light of a fire slowly crept into the passage and she was forced to hold back with no other cover to exploit. But one glance was more than enough...

They were all dead-a heap of bloody bodies all wearing the tatters of the State Military's blue uniforms. And they had been killed by advanced alchemy.

She was just beginning to creep back when the radio in her ear crackled to life and Ed's voice rushed into her ear. Intuitively, her hand snapped upwards and caught the apparatus, attempting to stifle the noise but it was too late.

Several heads turned upward, meeting her eyes. Guns rose and knives were drawn.

She cursed under her breath and dropped down into the passage, sprinting in the opposite direction and turning a corner just as the gunfire began.

* * *

"Sakura?!" Ed cried, hearing the roar of munitions.

"Damn it!" He yelled, running off in the direction he knew she had gone.

"Where is she?" Al asked, sprinting to keep up with him.

"The old city." He hissed.

* * *

Sakura kicked out the door, somersaulting into the open air to avoid a knife thrown at her back. Extending her leg back, she lashed the door closed again to buy a few precious seconds.

Her keen eyes caught the barest glimpse of Ed's figure coming her way, Al in tow.

"Stay back!" She yelled, waving her arms in warning.

They took it as such but continued in their sprint towards her. She tore towards them, hoping to warn them. But just as they reached each other, a side passage exploded in a rain of wooden shards and shrapnel.

They moved on instinct: pushing away from each other and attempting to find cover. But it was too late and they both fell back-Ed unconscious and Al pinned by rubble.

She spun on impulse, trying to cover her back but she was surrounded.

"Give up." One of them hissed, raising a knife.

A thin smile crept across her lips as she extended her open palm.

"Frigid Spring." She muttered as millions of icy-blue cherry blossom began to emanate from her palm, dancing in a lethal spiral.

They drifted away from her, adhering to anything they touch and freezing it utterly as they blossomed into complete flowers. Already, several of the terrorists had been taken down and the remainder were scrambling for their lives.

"Bitch!"

The cry came from behind and she didn't have time to meet him head-to-head. The alchemist slammed into her, sending her tumbling. She curled on inclination, rolling back to her feet in time to take a nasty hit to her jaw.

There was a small, though distinct, sound now scratching at the back of her mind-a sound that she had come to associate with rescue.

The sound of friction material grating against itself.

A crimson and orange wall danced between them, shielding her and her friends just as dozens of heavily armed, blue-garbed figures swarmed in through the side passages and vents of the city.

"Give it up. You're surrounded." Mustang stated, appearing through the fiery veil.

"Never!" One of the braver cried as he raised a firearm.

"I suggest," Riza responded as she slid in behind him and pressed her gun to the small of his back, "that you put that down."

It was over: While Fullmetal, Al, and Sakura had been distracting the terrorist group, the State Military back-up squad had been hacking at their internal structure from the very outer reaches of the city in. Now, they had flushed the remaining individuals above ground where they could be captured and detained.

With a smile of satisfaction as he handed over a cuffed rebel to his lieutenant, Mustang turned to Sakura and stated, "I think we have a name for you."

She looked up in surprise.

"The Ethereal Alchemist."

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**_Chapter Thirteen: Sins_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or FMA. _**

The train ride back home, temporarily, she hated to admit she hoped, to Amestris was painfully dull after the excitement of the mission. But, in all honestly, Sakura couldn't say she minded. With her emotions still reeling at the time of dispatch, she was more drained the Al and Ed combined---not that one would notice based on her sunny, if not feigned, disposition.

But whenever occasion had them both out for a short time, she would take the moments to utterly destroy something to vent the pent-up rage and confusion she still hadn't reconciled. And by the time they arrived at the first of three stations, she only had two shirts and one pair of pants left...

Luckily, though, Roy had supplemented their dwindling cash supply before they had started back for home. He had elected to remain to clean up the mess that was formerly and hopefully soon reborn Rush Valley. So she carefully counted out some coins and bills and tucked them in her pocket and told them she would be back before the hour delay between trains was up. And with that, she stepped out into the crowded streets.

At about this time she was deeply regretting shredding her limited wardrobe, but she shrugged it off---she _did _feel better after destroying the articles of clothing...

She stopped, suddenly, in front of a small boutique. Hanging in the window was a bright crimson tunic that had caught her eye quite effectively. And, amazingly, it was well within her price range. Shrugging off her good luck as a coincidence, she stepped inside and emerged not more than fifteen minutes later with two bags in her hands.

Once inside, she had purchased not only the tunic, but a pair of black shorts with a rolled and pinned cuff, a pink off-the-shoulder blouse with a scattering of silver designs meant to replicate wind, a pair of blue jeans in a faded wash, and a white tank top that was simple but flattering.

Glancing at a clock hanging a nearby store window, she realized time was growing short. With a bit of a gasp, she sprinted off back towards the train station.

It was just starting to pull away when she dove through the closing doors and stumbled into a nearby seat. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she stood and made her way back to their compartment. It was the first off to the left and so she quickly found it, slid the door open and stepped inside, pushing the sliding access port closed behind her.

"We were just starting to get worried." Al told her good-naturedly.

"What took you so long?" Ed asked, resting lazily against his arms.

"Uh...just indulging myself." She replied with a smile, the bags swinging gently from her arms.

"Girls..." The eldest Elric muttered.

Sakura frowned, hurt by his aloofness. He had been avoiding her ever since Al had found them curled up together...

She felt the blood rise in her cheeks and quickly beat it back down by sheer force of will.

'It's not like we _did _anything! Yes we technically _slept _together but it wasn't like that!'

And realizing the futility in arguing with herself, and losing, she sighed and took a seat next to Al.

She hadn't even really gotten comfortable when a sudden lurch sent them reeling painfully against their seats, Ed fighting not to slam into his brother and the kunoichi.

"What was that?" Sakura asked breathlessly, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Probably just a break malfunction. It happens. "Ed insisted despite his own unease. And for several seconds she believe him as the train began to trudge down the rail smoothly again.

But then another lurch, this one far more powerful, jerked the entire train left. For a moment, Sakura could literally see the railroad beneath them before the weight of the metal machine balanced it again. And this time it didn't start again.

Sakura rose, ready to speak with the conductor when a horrible scream filled her ears. She didn't even realize she was running until she was someone scramble to get out of her way. She didn't have time to wonder where the brothers were before she tore open the door to the control panel.

Her breath caught in her throat, a scream threatening to take the place of the air hitched in her throat.

The cabin was soaked in blood, a gelatinous glob licking up the crimson liquid with a satisfied, insane smirk.

"Gluttony..." The word escaped her mouth before she could stop it and suddenly the blob reeled on her, its mouth stretched wide.

Instinct kicked in, her hands came together and a blinding blue light radiated from their union.

Metal contorted and warped beneath her, the track literally rising up to form a protective shield. The force of the creature's impact against it was enough to send her flying back. And vaguely she wondered what she would hit...

She collided against something much softer than expected, the sudden whoosh of air from their lungs filling her ears as a pair of arms, one cold and hard, came up around her.

"Edward!" She cried stupidly.

"What happened?" He demanded, dropping her and leaving her to find her own feet, which she managed.

"It's safe to say we aren't going anywhere..." She replied, her gaze turning on the homunculus.

"Lust, can I eat them?" It begged, smiling toothily.

'What...?'

Realization struck Sakura far too late and she spun in time to meet Lust's extended nails. They ripped into her shoulder, sending her tumbling right back at Gluttony---having now eaten through the make-shift shield---who greedily opened his mouth. Automatically, Inner Sakura kicked in. She was _not _going to be _eaten; _OF ALL THE WAYS TO DIE, THIS WOULD NOT BE IT! Her feet found substance against the ground and she pushed back, the nails slicing through her back. Screaming because she simply couldn't bite the cry back, she shoved herself forward, impaling herself even further but sparing herself certain death by ingestion. Medically, the wounds in her shoulder weren't all that bad, but the pain was excruciating.

Her eyes, pain-glazed, filled suddenly with the light of a transmutation. And Edward became a blur of black and red as he charged the manifestation of arousal. At the same moment, Al's arm came down hard against the stakes through her body, shattering them decisively. The reverberation through her wounded arm ripped another scream from her as she stumbled left, falling against a pair of seats painfully.

But she didn't have time to catch her breath or even wallow momentarily in her agony because at that moment, another blur sped at her. This one green, black, and white.

'Envy...'

Her body reacted without conscious thought: Her arm came down despite the injury and she flung her body forward, chakra burning in her feet as she leveled her legs with the creature's chest.

Ed, mere feet away, could do nothing to help her. And Al was definitely indisposed.

The eldest was fighting back Gluttony, constantly pushing him back with blasts created through transmutation and the use of shields to force him into awkward positions. Behind him, Al was making fair work of Lust---being unable to feel pain and bearing only one vulnerability, he easily took her blows and gave them back at double their initial strength.

Sakura's eyes flickered to them and in that moment of distraction, Envy skirted her attack. Leaping above her, he landed heavily against her legs and, using the limbs as a springboard, slammed against her chest. The air evacuated her lungs with a forced exhalation.

"Sakura!" Ed cried, forgetting Gluttony.

The homunculus raced at him, his arms outstretched like a child reaching for a cookie. Ed snapped back to reality, throwing his weight left. But he was too slow and as the creature tripped over his ankle, he felt bone snap. Stars danced across his vision, blurring the images before he slammed against an overhead compartment. Tumbling down, he struck his head and the deafening ring drowned out everything: Sakura's screams for him to move, Envy's dark chuckle, and Al's body colliding with Lust's.

But he was resilient and rolled deftly to the right, avoiding the behemoth entirely and allowing it to crash harmlessly through the train's figurative ribcage. Biding his moment, he swung his sharpened mechanized arm at the shape-shifting homunculus. Envy smirked, pushing away from the kunoichi. Thrown, he barely had time to retract his arm, and even still the point split a thin laceration against her neck.

Pivoting on his heel, he lashed out again at the shape-shifter. But he was long gone by that time, as was Lust and Gluttony.

For a moment, Ed allowed himself some confusion---how had they done it. But he remembered they had more important issues.

"Sakura!" He cried, his arm morphing back into a synthetic hand as he grabbed her by her uninjured shoulder, shaking her into response.

"Wha...What just happened..." She asked numbly.

"I wish I knew." He replied as he pressed a spare shirt he jerked from the rubble against her bleeding shoulder.

"Brother, we're close to Dublith..." Al stated from the background.

"Good." Ed replied, slinging Sakura's uninjured arm around his neck and hauling her to her feet.

"But what about the others?" She said, protesting loudly.

"Sakura, there are no others."

She gasped---had it honestly been so late when they realized they were in danger? And before another thought could enter her mind, he had pulled her through a hole in the train's shell and began walking.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

**_Chapter Fourteen: In Which Some Things are Revealed That Should Not Have Been_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or FMA. _**

Edward outright ignored the stares of from the people of Dublith. He didn't have time to concern himself with them. So with a single-minded purpose, he trudged through the city until he came to a familiar house. Given the circumstances, he didn't even bother knocking. He simply kicked the door in, screamed something hardly intelligent, and begged for help.

Izumi, not in the least visibly started, rose in a clean motion, sweeping Sakura into her arms despite her own small frame. And the kunoichi, now growing extremely irritated at not being able to simply sit and heal her wounds, growled deeply at the offense it caused her injuries. She opened her mouth to protest only to have Izumi jar her mercilessly as she deposited her on a couch.

"What happened?" Izumi demanded as she tore away the bloody make-shift bandage and began inspecting the wound.

"Homunculi." Al replied.

The female Curtis nodded as she forced Sakura into a prostrate position and ordered Edward to fetch her a bowl of hot water and a cloth.

Finally at the end of her rope, Sakura pushed the woman off of her, swung her legs over the edge of the couch, and screamed, "I'M A MEDIC, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!"

Izumi easily caught her balance and was even finding herself remotely impressed with the girl's spunk. But this was her domain and she would obey her orders. In a fluid stride, she shoved the girl back down, ordered her to stay put, and screamed at Ed to get her the supplies.

Fed up, Sakura sighed and simply brought her hand up to her shoulder and allowed her own chakra to flood her system. Effectively beneath her skilled hands, skin and muscle stitched shut and tendon grew back. And after several seconds, she opened her eyes and withdrew her hand to reveal the unblemished skin beneath her tattered shirt.

Izumi, thrown, simply nodded.

And with that, Sakura stood and marched towards the door. She had just thrown it open when she found herself facing a wall of flesh; Sig Curtis. Surprised, she stumbled back only to find herself in Ed's arms again.

"Hello, honey." The giant stated before moving into the kitchen with a wave to the Elrics.

"I give up..." Sakura sighed tiredly, allowing herself to sink back into Edward.

"Ed, get her upstairs." Izumi stated, back in full control.

He nodded, taking the kunoichi's hand and leading her up the staircase.

As soon as she was sure they were out of auditory range, she turned on Al.

"How long since the attack?"

"About three hours." He replied.

"And which ones attacked you?"

"Lust, Envy and Gluttony."

"Damn..." Izumi hissed, clamping down on her thumb nail in frustration.

Rumors had been flying around for several days of a girl with pink hair and the ability to perform alchemy without a transmutation circle. And if that was the case, they were likely out to use her as they would have Ed: To create a Philosopher's Stone. Either that or they would use her as a hostage to force him to comply. It was already painfully obvious there was a connection between the two. And with some many attempts on his brother having failed, they would be looking for a new point to exploit. And if that was the case, they wouldn't be safe in Dublith for long. And neither would she and her husband.

Cursing herself, she picked up the nearby phone and dialed the numbers she knew by heart but despised. Instantly, a vaguely familiar voice came across the receiver.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye speaking."

"You know who I am. So let's spare the pleasantries. We have an issue in Dublith. And if you want your alchemist back, you might want to send someone to get them."

"Ms. Curtis," Riza acknowledged, "How long?"

"I'll be ready to leave in two hours."

"A squad will be there at one, then."

And the line clicked and died only to be replaced with the white noise of a dial tone.

"Teacher..." Al trailed off.

"I'm coming with you."

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter Fifteen: Fluff, Interrupted**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or Naruto! Or, for that matter, the movie from which I modified this title.**_

Ed opened the door for Sakura, gently coaxing her inside with a soft push against the small of her exposed back. She complied willingly, stepping inside and taking a seat on the foot of the bed shoved against the east wall. Ed followed after, closing the door and pulling up a nearby chair.

"So...who is she?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Izumi?" The question accompanied a frustrated sigh as he scratched at the back of his head in thought. "The biggest pain in the ass I've ever had to deal with."

Sakura attempted to stifle her resulting giggle, failing miserably and dissolving into near-hysterical laughter.

"Something funny?" Ed demanded sharply, a vein pulsing in his forehead.

"Careful. You'll give yourself an aneurysm." She winked jokingly. Obviously, she knew that was a physical impossibility; but she could have her fun.

"Whatever." He huffed.

Sakura giggled again, rising to her feet to kick off her boots. Bending, she quickly unlaced one and attempted to push it off with her other foot. However, the lace round around her ankle, tripping her up. She attempted to catch her balance, staying on her feet just long enough for Ed to get on his. But as he moved to help her, she fell back. Instinctively, she grabbed for him, her hand wrapping around his shirt.

The sudden tug brought him down on top of her, the bed cushioning the impact but forcing them close, their lips brushing.

For a moment, all Sakura could do was stare into his honey-colored eyes with her shocked magenta ones. And then her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him down. Her lips met his and passion replaced logic. He grappled for a better position, his tongue brushing against her lips as her own explored his mouth.

Previously, Sakura had found the idea of kissing disgusting. It was someone else's tongue in her mouth, for crying out loud! But until that moment, she had no idea the feeling a specific rhythm and pressure against her soft palette could evoke.

His pressed against her, his legs aligned against her right side even as she brought her own leg around his waist. They gasped frantically for air between furious, passionate sessions that were interrupted only briefly to accommodate the need for oxygen.

The stairs suddenly creaked and as if by mutual agreement, they pushed away from each other mere seconds before Al entered the room, followed closely by Izumi.

The Curtis eyes them critically for a moment: Tussled hair, swollen lips, labored breathing, a flush across their faces and chests...And shrugged it off.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" She demanded, tossing bags at them unceremoniously. Each easily found its mark in their laps.

"We're leaving." She added sternly before disappearing back into the hall.

"Uh...Brother...are you alright?" Al asked a moment later; once he was sure she was out of ear shot.

"Fine." Ed snapped moodily, following after his teacher.

Sakura just smirked, nodding at the younger Elric and following after, leaving the poor boy to scramble behind them both.

TBC

* * *

**End Notes: Anyone feeling the sexual tension yet? I know I am.**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter Fifteen: Convoy **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or Naruto! **_

The resulting convoy that appeared in front of Izumi's house was impressive indeed: Riza Hawkeye, leading the group, was backed by no less than fifteen snipers, ten foot soldiers, and thirteen high-ranking officials. Some, in fact, were from the exams. And beyond that, Sakura could detect no less than twenty separate and concealed energy figures.

And even before they were allowed to leave the house, they were ushered into a circle of soldiers who were backed by not only air support but by the snipers on the roof.

Sakura, still rather dazed from the events of the day, didn't have the energy to protest until she noticed the blood running down Ed's ankle.

She stopped the entire unit immediately, throwing a class-action fit at anyone who dared to suggest it needed to wait. It wasn't until she had healed not only the fracture but the tension-torn muscles, skin lacerations, and tendon damage before she would allow Riza to continue towards the waiting convoy trains.

And although the annoyance on Riza's face was clear, there was also admiration for the girl's strength in the face of adversity.

It was about that time that the girl's body finally gave and she crumpled to the ground.

* * *

She woke up on Ed's back, her legs around his hips, her arms over his neck.

"You're finally awake." He huffed, his eyes bright with concern despite his attitude.

She nodded numbly, resting her head against her own shoulder, "Ed…"

"Hmm?" He replied.

"I..."

He glanced up at her, a question in his gold eyes.

"I…can walk."

Her inner self quite literally back-handed her, calling her a coward before Sakura suppressed her; her feet touched against the ground and she caught her balance.

"Thanks." She muttered, walking ahead of him so he wouldn't see the blush working into her cheeks.

He shrugged, somehow feeling rejected. Averting his eyes, he walked after her.

* * *

The desert heat was absolutely stifling. And proof of that was in the trail of discarded clothing behind them.

"Where is that evac…" Riza trailed off, obviously annoyed at their lateness.

Sakura glanced at her, pushing her sweaty hair off of her neck. Beside her, Izumi was muttering something half-intelligible about the military…most of it negative. But for some reason, it made the kunoichi smile.

It was about that time that the sound of chopper blades cutting the air reached their ears as eight small dots appeared in the sky above them.

Riza smiled, the look of relief on her face clear as she ordered her soldiers into ranks. They divided automatically, organizing themselves as the choppers pulled down slowly in front of them.

The first ranks filed in, pulling Sakura with them. That convoy left immediately, the other choppers moving to cover her.

* * *

Sakura crawled into her bed late the night, after all of the debriefings, mission statements, and formal interviews…an ordeal they had all had to endure.

She wasn't even sure when she woke up, late in the middle of the night…but all she could think about was Ed.

He was rash and crude and had no manners…but he had a kind heart and a gentle way of reaching out to her.

The entire day had been convoluted…but he had been…well, Ed…

With a small cry, she buried her head against her pillow, hot tears soaking the cotton.

Kami help her….she was falling in love.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter Seventeen: Gateway **_

_**Disclaimer: Neither FMA or Naruto or my own creation…*sob***_

Sakura sighed to herself as she thought up an excuse to talk to Ed: they had been sent on a mission to Istanbul, Izumi in tow as a kind of specialized back-up, not more than six hours after being pulled from her home.

Honestly, it wasn't even that that she minded; it was the fact that Ed wouldn't meet her fuchsia colored eyes or speak to her unless she spoke first.

"Uh…Ed…?"

"Yes?" He asked impatiently, his eyes never leaving the train window.

"Uh…nevermind…"

He sighed and she couldn't tell if it was impatience, annoyance, or something else…

* * *

Izumi couldn't help but smile privately when she viewed the two teenagers: Sakura's natural shyness and hesitation (and the fierce blush that overcame her cheeks) whenever she spoke to him or his name was mention and Edward's aloofness at her advances was rather comical…much the same scenes that had played out between her and her husband before they were ever married.

However, the not-so comical flip side was that they had been under a lovely lack of pressure when they had been courting each other: they would need to pull together much more coherently if they wanted their relationship to last past tomorrow.

* * *

The train door opened and Sakura shuffled off, bag in hand, behind Ed and Izumi.

"Come along." The elder female said simply, walking off of the platform.

Naturally, both Sakura and Ed grumbled privately, but said nothing to contradict her publicly; it wouldn't have been proper…but more importantly, she could effectively kick both of their asses up and down Istanbul and back to the base…and then some, probably.

* * *

They all heard the scream and they all turned towards it.

However, not one of them expected to see what they did: a massive black portal, burning purple at the edges, and swallowing everything in its path. Framing the swirling vortex was something like a picture frame; a gold, knotted circle that seemed to contain it.

"Izumi-san…?" Sakura trailed off in horror.

"I don't know." The woman replied as she sprinted off in the direction of the gate.

Ed spared Sakura one glance before following after her. Sakura vaguely considered yelling a warning but figured the breath would be wasted and simply followed after them.

Izumi tried at once to seal it, but the trauma proved too much, the gout of blood from her mouth and nose undeniable proof she was already finished. Ed pushed her aside, away from the suctioning vortex that threatened to pull her in as well.

"I have an idea!" Sakura cried over the din, a piece of debris slamming so hard against her shoulder she nearly lost her balance and was sucked in. But just as quickly, she had found her feet again.

"Shoot!" Ed replied.

"I need you to blast that thing." She replied.

Ed's slightly insane smirk spread across his face as his hands came together, a blue light pulsing from them, "No problem."

Sakura smirked as he fired into the portal. At the same time, she slammed her hands together, allowing them to meld into a hand seal. Millions of cherry blossom petals erupted from her and hovered around the gate way and linking in an invisible chain of energy. The shockwave of his initial attack warped the portal and thanks to her net, it had no chance to rebound. Instead, it collapsed in on itself in a flash of brilliant black and purple.

"Impressive."

They turned on the voice, a twin chill of fear running down their backs.

"Scar." Ed growled.

The mutilated man just clapped sarcastically, aiming his red gaze on Sakura and then Ed.

"What do you want?!" She demanded, stepping forward.

"Isn't it obvious by now?"

"Obviously not!" Ed cried, clenching his fist.

"I want to destroy this world."

They both stood in stunned silence for a moment as he continued, "You see, that girl beside you was only the first test. And after its success, there was no denying the potential of opening portals to different dimensions. Such as the one you just destroyed."

Sakura growled, a faint clack accompanying the emptying of her holsters in a single, massive metal rain.

"Foolish." Scar sighed, extending his arm. A red light swirled down it, ripping open another portal into a glassy world that absorbed the blow and deflected it.

Sakura leapt up, avoiding her own attack as Ed dove left, scrambling to his feet and running side-long at him.

"ED! NO!" She cried, seeing what he couldn't: the buildup of energy in his left arm.

The Elric leapt back just in time, flipping onto his heels. His gaze flitted to Sakura and by the time he looked back, Scar's hand was centimeters from his face.

But before contact could be made, he was knocked back by a sudden blur of white and black. The blow was so tremendous he collided with Sakura, both of them sliding across the ground abrasively.

"Izumi!" The kunoichi cried, pushing herself up on her hands and knees as his hand came around her throat.

Ed gave a wordless cry of despair as she was hauled off her feet.

"Foolish woman." Scar tsked.

She smirked; defiant to the end…there was nothing left for her to keep but her attitude and her ego…her pride.

And that was her last thought as she exploded into a mass of crimson and shredded flesh. The backlash rained down on Sakura and Ed, both of them unable to do anything but scream their rage.

Scar, tossing aside the remains clenched in his fist, approached them.

"Who do you think has been orchestrating this whole thing?" He asked.

They didn't answer.

"It had to be someone in power."

"Mustang…?" Ed trailed off disbelievingly.

"No; that idiot has done nothing but try to keep you two safe by shipping you around from place to place."

As if on cue, a swirling mass of orange and red engulfed them. Ed reflexively pulled the pink-haired female close, protecting her.

"We just can't shake you." Roy sighed, appearing in front of them.

"We'll see." Rize replied from behind the madman, gun cocked and eyes narrowed.

"True strength does not come from destruction." Louis agreed from the side lines, his shirt already discarded.

"Fools." Scar stated simply, his hand falling across the ground. Crimson light poured from their contact point, blinding the alchemist's so effectively they could do nothing but turn away.

And then, he was gone…

Sakura crept forward on her hand and knees, taking up the spattered, dripping jacket that had been Izumi's and holding it to her chest, muttering, "No…please…no…no…"

Ed moved against her, running his fingers along the tattered hem, "Teacher…"

In the brief time Sakura had known Izumi, she had come to love her…because Ed loved her. And she felt the loss vicariously in the torment in his voice and the agony shining in his eyes.

And there was nothing she could do to make it better.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter Eighteen: Conversations**_

_**Disclaimer: Neither FMA or Naruto or my own creation…*sob***_

_**A/N: Sorry it's such a short chapter, but it's the only way I could think to work it. **_

_**GRAPHIC SEXUAL CONTENT WARNING! CHAPTER RATED R FOR A REASON!**_

Sakura stormed into his office, shoving Riza aside as she demanded an answer. The lieutenant moved to restrain her, only to find herself pinned against the wall, Sakura's knee in her back. Roy shouted at her to stand down, to which the kunoichi replied she refused and to make good on her intention, pressed even harder against the woman beneath her.

"What do you want to know?" He finally snapped.

"Everything." She replied waspishly.

"I'm not a mind-reader." He growled.

"You knew!" She screamed back, tossing Riza down.

"What did you want me to do?!" He responded.

"Inform us!" She cried back.

"And that would have helped?"

Sakura opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Sensing he now had the upper hand, the Colonel continued, "If you had known, you would have _looked_ for _him_."

"We're not stupid!" She growled back.

"No, you're children." He replied as though that were much worse.

Sakura took her lip between her teeth to bite back the retort clawing at her throat: children forced to grow up to quickly because of _him_, children having just watched their mother die, and children with no home.

"If you were trying to protect us, you did a hell of a job." She finally stated.

"I did what I could." He responded.

"Again, hell of a job there, _Colonel_." She replied, slamming the door behind her.

Roy growled to himself as he helped Riza back to her feet. Of course, he was guilty…he already knew that…and there was nothing he could do to make it right again.

* * *

Sakura stripped down and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water pour down over her. With her free hand, she pushed her pink hair back from her eyes, reaching for a bar of soap with her left hand.

The door suddenly opened behind her and she immediately tensed as a shadow fell across the blurred and thick glass. The bar of soap dropped from her hand as the door slowly opened.

He stumbled in so suddenly and violently she could do nothing more than catch him. His head rested against her shoulder, and for the first time she realized, irrationally, that he was in fact a hair taller than her.

"I'm sorry." He stated simply.

"Ed…" She choked on the emotion caught in her throat.

The cloth of his wet jacket clung to her bare thighs, pulling her even closer. Her naked breasts pressed against his chest, her stomach suddenly coiling as his hand came around her, pulling her against him. His head rotated up, his mouth capturing her own. She moaned through the lock of their lips, encouraging him as she pushed herself flush against him. Her hands found his jacket, sliding it off and letting it drop against the porcelain tub.

He shuddered beneath the sudden barrage of hot water on his bare arms and shoulders, his hands twining in her hair as she quickly undid the hooks on his shirt. She stopped suddenly, running her slender fingers down the light curves that marked his sculpted abs. She trailed low, hooking her finger just under the waistband of his pants before very gently raking her nails back upwards. He hissed in response, looping his arm around her waist.

Sakura smiled up at him, intoxicated by the control she had over his reactions, and gently unclasping the belt buckle and sliding it free of the loops. Thinking only briefly of it, she kicked the spare clothes out of the tub, letting them slump in a wet heap on the tile. Free to move, she looped her leg over his waist, using the wall for support as his tongue lapped hotly at her décolleté and up her slender neck. She clutched at him, reveling in the sensation before she brazenly tore away the black fabric of his pants. He obliged willingly, stepping out of them and kicking them aside.

Sakura, far from a slut, was also far from a virgin and knew exactly what she was doing. Already, she could tell he was a virgin, uncertain. That thought was oddly… _arousing_, giving her power over the situation. She reached down as she captured his mouth with her lips, brushing her hand against his erection as she did so.

Sensation flooded his body, and he pushed hungrily against her. His tongue ran liberally against her own as she gently rotated her hips towards him. The position change sent hot water coursing down his stomach and thighs, the heat of her body heightening the stimulation. He paused, very gently running his left hand across her chest, feeling the heave of her breasts. For a flicker of an instant, he wished he was entirely flesh, the way she was, to experience it all so much more…fully.

Her hand suddenly came up, gently pushing his head back up so emerald met amber, "Don't think."

Quickly, her free arm came around his waist, cupping the small of his back and applying gentle, encouraging pressure. He hesitated for only a moment before smoothly pushing into her. She moaned beneath him, the sudden pressure and _fullness_ almost too much.

She arched her back, pushing back against his hips with her own. He thrust back, the power behind the movement lifting her onto the tips of her toes. Fighting back the coil of irrational pleasure, she knotted her hands in his golden hair.

He thrust again, with more confidence this time, and she found all she had to do was stand there and revel in her own sensation to encourage his motions. Her moans were matched by his grunts, her own shudders returned with equal fervor until both plunged into the blissful void of climax.

Panting for breath, she pulled back, her arms still looped around his body. She didn't even see him move, only felt his mouth cup against her own pale pink lips.

"I can't say I love you." He stated painfully.

"Then don't." She replied with a smile. She knew that sex didn't necessarily equate love, and it didn't hurt her to realize that.

"But…it's something very close."

She inhaled sharply, unprepared for the bare emotion in his eyes.

"Oh, Ed…" She cried, tears welling up in her eyes that were quickly wiped away by his warm flesh.

And suddenly, it all melted away for a moment.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter Nineteen: Key**_

_**Disclaimer: Neither FMA or Naruto or my own creation…*sob***_

Sakura gently worked her way out from under Ed's arm, sliding into a robe as she rose from the bed. She stepped into the hall, somehow both shocked and apathetic about whom she saw standing there.

"Colonel Mustang…"

"We need to speak." He stated simply.

She nodded.

* * *

"Would you like some coffee?" He asked.

Sakura just nodded, too unnerved to do much else…he was such a straight to the point person…coffee? It must have been pretty bad if he was making such a lame attempt at stalling…

They waited in uncomfortable silence as the coffee brewed and he assembled a tray with cream and sugar before sitting down opposite her. He passed her a cup, mixing sugar into his own as she poured cream in hers.

"What…did you want to talk to me about?" She finally asked.

"About Scar."

Sakura pushed aside her cup, the coffee suddenly too bitter.

"There's a reason he's so interested in you." He continued, pausing only to lift the cup to his lips.

"Why me?" She asked, feeling her aggression building.

"Let's start from the beginning: You were an experiment in opening alternate dimensions using The Gate. His true objective is to open what religious fanatics would call a hell gate."

"A portal to a different dimension…a hostile one." She replied, assuring him she was following.

He nodded, "But to do so requires more than one human sacrifice, as the previous ones have."

"Like the Philosopher's Stone." She saw the confusion build on his face and added, "Ed…Ed told me."

He just nodded, "But he needs you to do that."

"Why?" She asked, "How am I any different?"

"You survived in our dimension…humans, according to his studies, shouldn't be able to do that. That means that you are the key---a person who, in his theory, is capable of surviving these different dimensions, and therefore a more powerful sacrifice."

"Okay…and?"

"There's only one way to stop him."

"Yes?"

"We have to send you home."

"What?!" She cried, standing so abruptly her chair toppled over.

"If you die in our dimension, a gate will automatically open. Illness, accident, anything happens to you and the world burns."

"But…"

"I'm sorry." Roy stated simply.

"But Ed…"

"Is one person among the millions that will die if we don't get you back to your own time and place."

Sakura nodded; he was right…Ed could recover from heartbreak, but the world wouldn't recover from an apocalypse.

"Why…didn't you tell me sooner?" She asked.

"I didn't know until recently."

Sakura nodded as she stepped back out of the office.

Ed watched the door close, hating himself for lying to her. He had known for a while, and had hoped to tell her before she and Ed began any form of romance. But before he had realized what had happened, they had already slept together.

"I'm sorry…" He muttered.

* * *

Sakura curled up against the sleeping blond, laying her hand against his forehead.

"I'm sorry, Ed, this really isn't what I wanted." She whispered, pressing her lips against his.

He mumbled in his sleep before quieting again.

Sakura pulled back, her single tear falling from her cheek and landing against his face. It rolled down his cheeks, like a tear he had cried himself.

The pink-haired woman stared at him for a long time, the late night quiet around them. She doubted even the Colonel was still awake…his shift began in a few hours; he likely had just gone back to bed. Not that she could grudge him that…

She pushed back Ed's hair from his eyes and she curled up against his chest one more time.

She would make it possible for him to move on…she already decided that. But for just a moment she wanted to be with him.

She wasn't sure how long she laid there before she gently eased herself up on her elbow and laid her hand on his forehead again.

Emotion was nothing more than a set of complex chemical traits in the brain…she could undo that…even if it hurt to play God like that…because she felt the same things and it seemed wrong to not feel them herself, but it was so wrong to let him hurt the way she knew he would soon…so she did what needed to be done.

She corrected it…it was easier to think of it as a mistake than something right that had happened at the wrong time.

When she was done, she simply left the room…better to give as many negative signals as possible…make the distance greater.

* * *

Sakura waited for Roy's shift to officially begin before she requested an appointment with him.

"Have you done what you need to?" He asked.

"Yes. I just have one question…"

"Yes?"

"What…will happen?"

"As best we can figure, things will simply reverse. It'll be like…" He stopped.

"Like I was never here?"

He nodded.

She smiled…it really would be possible for him to move on.

"Roy…you really should stop beating around the bush with Riza." She smiled.

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Because you're getting a chance to start over."

"Then I won't remember this." He replied.

"I have a feeling things won't be entirely that easy." She said.

Roy just stared as she slipped back through the door.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter Twenty: Final Battle; All Fronts**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or Naruto!**_

Sakura stood on the field, looking over the circle she had painstakingly drawn in her own blood. It was the most complex transmutation circle she had ever seen, let alone attempted. But she could see nothing wrong with the symbols, and the edges were perfect…

'I wonder…what will happen when I get home?' She wondered.

Home! What a wonderful word! She didn't like it, but she admitted that with so much travel and so much strife, she never really settled far enough into Amestris to call it home. It had always been a business for her. She didn't even realize how much she had started to miss _home_…It was more than just a place; it was her life waiting for her back in those dense forests filled with the noise of _her_ two bickering idiots.

"You're too clever, girl."

Sakura turned to him, not at all surprised to see him.

"I'm sorry." She replied with something of a half-smirk that was shadowed by her sadness.

"So am I." He responded, removing the glasses from his red eyes.

She cocked her head in a silent question.

"You've bested me."

Sakura's slender eyebrow lilted up, "It's not that easy, though."

"Sadly." He agreed.

"Shall we finish this?" She asked, pulling a glove over her wrist.

He nodded, his lips pulling up at the corners. "Let's."

"The first move is yours." She said.

"Ladies first, I insist."

"Very well."

Her fist came against the ground, shattering it into thousands of fragments around them. Scar clambered onto one, riding the shockwave before leaping at her.

* * *

Ed woke up, groaning slightly with his desire to shut his eyes and drift back into the peace of his dreams. But he was suddenly acutely aware of the emptiness beside him.

"Sakura?" He groaned, pushing himself up on his arms.

'Where the hell did she go?' He wondered.

"Fullmetal."

"HAWKEYE!" He cried, shoving the sheet back over his hips, realizing for the first time it had slid down.

"Get dressed, Ed…there's something you need to know." She replied evenly as she tossed his clothes at him.

* * *

"What?!" Winry yelled, her hand tightening on the wrench in her palm.

"I know!" Al cried back, his voice watery with emotion his eyes couldn't shed.

"We have to go!" She snapped, pulling a shirt over her black tank top and rushing through the door.

* * *

Sakura snapped a high kick towards his jaw that he easily evaded, attempting to grab her. She spun deftly away, determined not to let him make contact. He came at her again with renewed fervor, but she was more flexible and faster than he was…however he had strength and tactical skill on her, and it was becoming hard for both of them to continue with the rate of the a battle.

"You're good." He commented as they broke apart from the fray to catch their breath.

"You're excellent." She replied, straightening her gloves. "But only one of us can win."

'And I already know who…' He thought as they clashed again.

* * *

Ed didn't even bother yanking on his coat as Riza finished speaking.

"We have to find her!" He cried.

He tried to sprint past her, but she grabbed his arm and gently pulled him back. Her eyes came to rest on his and she sighed before speaking.

"Are you sure that's what she wants?"

"What are you talking about?!" He demanded.

"She left you behind for a reason."

"Damn whatever the hell her reason was!" He shot back.

"And would you damn _her_ for her reason?" Riza asked calmly.

He blanched visibly, his eyes growing wide as he slackened in her grip.

* * *

Winry charged into Central and marched into the Colonel's office, demanding to see him. But both he and Riza, she was informed, were away on official business.

"And Sakura?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen her since this morning, either." The aid replied.

* * *

Sakura flipped back, landing on her hands and spinning as she brought her legs against him. But far from being rocked by the blow, he latched his arms around her boots. Red flashed…

She landed against the grass easily, panting hard as she wiped blood away from her mouth.

"Close call…" She muttered to herself over her hand.

"Fast on your feet, I see." Scar commented as he tossed aside her boot, now destroyed.

She shrugged in quiet agreement as she drew a kunai and snapped it at him.

He dashed around it and came at her; she struck out instinctively…Blood sprayed across the field.

"Wh…Why?" She asked, her fist trembling through his back.

He smiled, opened his mouth to respond, and spat blood…

"NO!" She cried as he slid off of her fist and onto the ground.

"You've already won." He told her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, gently pushing his hair away from his eyes.

His eyes turned to her and glazed…and she knew…Her fingertips came down on his lids, brushing them closed.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Haruno!"

Her eyes snapped up to the Colonel as he appeared through the brush, his fingers already pressed together. But she shook her head, and his hand dropped to his side again.

"Why are you here?" She asked as she rose from the corpse.

He opened his mouth, but no words came out…a moment later three more figures appeared in the dense green growth.

"Sakura!" Ed cried as he approached her.

"Ed, stop." Mustang said, holding out his arm to still the boy. "Let her go with dignity…"

Riza appeared behind him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug as the kunoichi smiled at them. She turned on her heel, stepped inside of the transmutation circle and laid her hands against the ground. Brilliant blue light spilled from the circle…

* * *

Sakura's eyes settled on the gate in front of her…on the purple eyes peering at her.

"Why?" A voice asked from the darkness.

"I don't know." She replied…

"You offered them hope." It told her.

"And I give it back." She responded.

Something in the Gate purred deeply in the agreement as it opened for her, and she stepped inside.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

_**Epilogue: Déjà vu. **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or FMA! **_

"Jackass!"

"Bastard."

"Show-off!"

"Knuckle-head."

"Jerk!"

"Idiot."

Sakura sighed happily to herself as they wandered the forests that faded towards Suna. She turned back to smile at her boys as they argued. But rather than continue, both of them glanced at her with a mixture of worry and confusion.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sasuke asked flatly.

"Yeah…" Naruto whined from the back.

"Hmm…What?" She asked.

"You're not yelling at us." Naruto replied.

"Chunks of earth haven't been displaced." The Uchiha added.

"And you're not upset." The blond concluded.

Sakura smiled and turned on her heel and began walking again, leaving them scrambling to catch up with her.

* * *

"ED!" Winry yelled, knocking him hard enough with a wrench to hurt.

"WHAT?!" He cried back.

"AGAIN WITH THE AUTOMAIL!" She screamed.

"Maybe we should all just calm down…" Al interjected vainly from behind them only to be drowned out by the screaming.

But a moment later he was suddenly stilled by a flash of pink and fuchsia behind him. He spun, trying to capture the image in his head and fix it…but there was nothing there…like a memory that was fading too quickly for him to recall…

"Ed?" Winry asked, her blue eyes concerned.

"It was nothing…just…déjà vu." He replied.

He turned his head to the window and looked out into the desert and towards the bright yellow sun. And somewhere, over many different times and places, a pair of now green eyes stared into the same fiery mass.


End file.
